By Tom Breihan on January 5, 2010 at 11:25 a.m. EST

Mos Def and TalibKweli gave indie rap one of its defining moments with their 1998 collaborative album Mos Def & TalibKweli Are Black Star. Since then, they've gotten together for the odd show or guest appearance, but there's still no follow-up album. "Ten years ago, we made history, so they missin' us," said Talib on his verse on Mos'sThe Ecstatic track "History". It's true! (Well, it's more like 12 years now, but whatever.)

"History" now has a stately black-and-white video from directors Coodie and Chike. These two have an easy chemistry, and it's fun to see them on screen together. Check it out below.

By Amy Phillips on January 4, 2010 at 4:00 a.m. EST

Happy New Year! After a two week break, Pitchfork News is back in full swing for 2010. Of course, plenty of music news happened while we were out stuffing our faces with holiday meals/lying on the beach in the tropics/partying with Girl Talk (and his house!) on New Year's Eve. Here's a round up of some notable items, including news about Trent Reznor, Feist and Jeff Tweedy, Animal Collective's Deacon, T.I., Lil Wayne, Rivers Cuomo, Julian Casablancas, the Decemberists, Michael Jackson, Mos Def and Gorillaz, Real Estate and Woods, and many more.

By Tom Breihan on December 17, 2009 at 9:00 a.m. EST

Earlier this year, Radiohead's Thom Yorke remixed "Gazzillion Ear", the single from masked enigma rapper DOOM. And on the new MADVILLAINZ remix of the same track, Kanye West makes an appearance, credited as "Kanye West as KHAN". Kanye doesn't rap or anything; his appearance is limited to a fairly inexplicable phone message at the beginning. (Hear the track below.) Still, DOOM got Thom Yorke and Kanye West to contribute to different versions of the same song. That's pretty major!

And in other DOOM news, he's got three North American shows coming up with Mos Def, another member of the indie rap royalty. The Toronto and Chicago shows are billed as "DOOM featuring Mos Def", so maybe they'll collaborate? Either way, we've got the dates below.

By Tom Breihan on December 9, 2009 at 2:35 p.m. EST

For years now, the world has been fiending for alt-rap icon Mos Def to take a break from acting in shitty movies and put his focus squarely back on music. In 2009, he's finally done it, dropping his best album in years and generally reminding the world that he's a fearsome rapper.

Another reminder: The new video for "Supermagic", the frantic opening track of The Ecstatic. Mos, decked out in Fred Perry and occasionally flashing his skull, raps straight ahead at the camera, which never leaves him. Watch it below, via Gorilla vs. Bear.

By Ryan Dombal on November 24, 2009 at 2:10 p.m. EST

Rising Brooklyn beats duo Javelin specialize in second-hand sounds, so it's only fitting that they're offering to remix a record sleeve from your collection for their upcoming 12" release on Thrill Jockey. Basically, you send an empty 12" jacket to Thrill Jockey, and it'll get Javelin-ized and sent back to you with their record inside. Javelin will also make you a t-shirt or hoodie if you want. The deadline to send in your jacket is January 18, and the release date for the 12"-- which is titled "Number Two"-- is February 16. More details are after the jump.

By Pitchfork Staff on November 23, 2009 at 3:00 p.m. EST

Above: Curren$y with members of Javelin and Knyfe Hyts

On Friday night, Javelin, Sleigh Bells, and Knyfe Hyts played the first show at a new TriBeCa venue called Under 100. Mos Def, Curren$y, Stally, and Damon Dash made guest appearances, with Curren$y even hopping on a Javelin verse. Our photographer Rez Avissar captured the night's proceedings. Full disclosure: the show was booked by Pitchfork.tv's Greg Finch.

In the first episode, we see rap impresario Damon Dash scrunching his face to a Black Keys beat and outlining an amusingly ambitious marketing plan for the project before calling Mos Def to lay down some vocals. Then there's a priceless shot of Mos listening to a beat bellowing out of a car in the middle of Williamsburg. (Sunac, holler!) The second episode shows Mos vibing out in the studio.